Many familiar objects in our everyday lives feature the distinctive black and white striped pattern. This eye-catching design is found in both natural and manmade items, crossing between the animal kingdom, clothing, transportation, sports equipment, and more. So what are some common examples of things with black and white stripes? Let’s explore some of the most popular striped objects.
Zebras
One of the first things that comes to mind when thinking of black and white stripes are zebras. There are three main species of zebras: plains zebras, mountain zebras, and Grévy’s zebras.
Plains zebras are the most common and have distinctive broad black and white stripes. Plains zebras live in eastern and southern Africa and are the zebras most commonly depicted in media and cartoons. Their stripes are thought to help camouflage them in tall grass.
Mountain zebras, as their name implies, live in mountainous and hilly habitats of southern Africa. They have thinner stripes compared to plains zebras. There are two subspecies of mountain zebras: Cape and Hartmann’s.
Grévy’s zebras live in northern Kenya and Ethiopia. They have narrower stripes than other zebra species. Their stripes extend down to their white bellies.
So in summary, zebras are the most iconic animal when thinking of black and white stripes, with their bold stripe patterns helping them blend into grassy African landscapes.
Referee Uniforms
Referees and officials in various sports often wear black and white striped uniforms. This includes referees in football, basketball, volleyball, and soccer/association football.
The black and white stripes are highly noticeable and distinctive, helping the referee stand out against the players on the field or court. This is important so players and fans can easily identify and see the referee.
The black and white stripes also represent the impartiality of the referees. Rather than wearing a team jersey, the stripes show the referee’s neutrality.
Some key facts about referee uniforms:
| Sport | Number of Stripes |
| Football | 8-9 bold stripes |
| Basketball | 2-3 bold stripes on shirt, pants may be black and white striped |
| Soccer | Diagonal stripes on shirt, vertical stripes on socks |
| Volleyball | 4-5 bold stripes on shirt |
So the distinctive black and white striped uniforms help the referees stand out and maintain impartiality in sports games.
Prison Uniforms
The classic prison uniform is also black and white striped. These prison uniforms originated in the 19th century and consist of a button-down shirt and pants/trousers with thick black and white stripes.
It is believed the stripes were meant to be humiliating and stigmatizing. The stripes made it difficult for prisoners to blend in and escape. There are usually between 5 to 15 stripes on prison uniforms.
While not as common today, the black and white striped prison uniform remains a recognizable pop culture symbol. It is frequently depicted in cartoons, movies, TV shows, and Halloween costumes.
Some key facts about prison uniforms:
| Stripes | Usually 5-15 bold stripes |
| Colors | Black and white, thick stripes |
| Style | Button-down shirt, pants/trousers |
| Origins | 19th century United States and United Kingdom |
So the black and white striped prison uniform is a distinctive symbol of the prison system, inspired by original uniforms meant to humiliate and identify prisoners.
Barber Poles
The red, white, and blue striped barber pole is an iconic symbol of barbershops. The colors and stripes have historical origins.
White represents the barber’s bandages. Red symbolizes blood from bloodletting procedures and surgeries that barbers used to perform. Blue is symbolic of veins.
The spiral pattern represents the two steel poles that historically held up white cloths stained with blood from medical procedures. The poles would twist in the wind, creating a spiral.
Today, barber poles have modernized with motorized poles that spin around continuously, lighting up and catching people’s attention outside barbershops.
Key facts about barber poles:
| Colors | Red, white, blue |
| Meaning | White: Bandages, Red: Blood, Blue: Veins |
| Pattern | Spiral around pole |
| Origins | Medieval barber surgeons |
So barber poles are a traditional striped symbol of barbershops with historical origins linked to medical procedures.
Beach Guard Flags
Lifeguards and beach patrols use colored flags with bold stripes to communicate information about water conditions to swimmers and beachgoers.
The different colored flags with stripes have the following meanings:
| Green Flag | Safe conditions |
| Yellow Flag | Caution advised |
| Red Flag | Unsafe, no swimming |
| Purple Flag | Dangerous marine life |
| Black and White Flag | Unregulated area |
The striped beach warning flags are an important safety system for lifeguards and swimmers. They help quickly identify and understand the ocean conditions through easy to recognize symbols.
Crosswalks
Crosswalk markings on roads feature bold white stripes to clearly identify pedestrian crossing areas for both pedestrians and drivers.
The white reflective stripes are painted in pairs, perpendicular to the direction of traffic flow. This creates an eye-catching ladder-like pattern that stands out on the asphalt or concrete road.
The stripes guide pedestrians along safe crossing paths and remind drivers to be aware of pedestrians in roadway intersections or crossings.
In some cases, such as school zones or other areas of high pedestrian traffic, the white stripes may be wider and spaced closer together for greater visibility and safety.
So the white crosswalk stripes play an important role in roadway safety for both pedestrians and drivers.
Socks
Striped socks come in a variety of colors and patterns, from basic black and white stripes to multicolored stripes. They add a touch of style and visual interest to shoe outfits.
Some popular striped sock styles include:
– Athletic socks – Striped tube socks, often worn scrunched down, are common for sports and athletic shoes. They frequently feature bold black and white stripes.
– Ankle socks – Shorter striped socks worn above the ankle bone provide a dash of color with shoes that expose some skin.
– Trouser socks – Business and formal socks tend to have thinner, more subtle pinstripes in black, grey or blue hues.
– Novelty socks – Vibrant rainbow or multi-colored striped socks in funky patterns liven up casual footwear.
So striped socks can provide subtle or bold stylistic flair to shoe outfits across different settings from athletic activities to formal business suits.
Neckties
Another clothing item that commonly features stripes is the necktie. Striped necktie patterns include:
– Diagonal stripes
– Pinstripes
– Regimental stripes – Rep stripes in multiple colors
– Bold/thick stripes
– Multicolored stripes
Striped neckties add visual interest to formal business or dress attire. Variations in stripe width, angle, and color schemes allow for diverse stylistic options. Thin pinstripes convey a refined elegance while thick bold stripes project confidence.
So men’s neckties utilize stripes to create decorative appeal that complements formal work or leisure suits.
Belts
Striped belts emerge as another fashion accessory. Striped belt styles include:
– Dress belts – Thin black stripes on brown or black leather for suits
– Casual belts – Wide striped canvas belts in bright colors for jeans or casual pants
– Patterned belts – Diagonal or crisscross patterned stripes
– Braided belts – Multicolored interwoven stripes
As a versatile accessory, striped belts allow users to incorporate stripes into outfits from formal to casual settings.
Furniture & Home Decor
The black and white striped pattern extends beyond clothing into home furnishings and decor items like:
– Pillows
– Blankets
– Rugs
– Shower curtains
– Tablecloths
– Kitchen towels
– Wallpaper
Black and white striped home items provide an eye-catching graphic look. The stripes create dimension and visual interest. They pair well with solid colors and patterns.
The stripes can be thick and bold or thin pinstripes. And they may incorporate other colors like red or blue for a patriotic or nautical vibe. Overall, striped decor pieces allow introducing vibrant style into home design.
Insects
Several insects feature distinct black and white striped coloration like:
– Wasps
– Yellowjackets
– Hornets
– Many bees
– Many flies and midges
The high-contrast stripes serve as a warning signal called aposematic coloration. The bold stripes indicate the insects may have dangerous stingers or venom and should be avoided.
There are also more than 3,000 species of black and white striped caterpillars. Again, the stripes warn predators away signaling the caterpillars may be toxic or unappetizing.
So in the insect world, black and white stripes frequently communicate danger or toxicity as an evolutionary warning sign to predators.
Fish
Fish that display bold black and white stripes include:
– Tiger barbs
– Zebra danios
– Zebra cichlids
– Zebra plecos
– Zebra sharks
– Many butterflyfish
– Convict cichlids
– Damselfish
– Moorish idols
The black and white stripes provide camouflage by breaking up the fish’s outline as they swim through vegetation near coral reefs and the ocean floor. The stripes mimic light flickering through water and blend into the environment.
In large fish like zebra sharks, the striking stripes may also confuse predators like marine mammals that struggle to detect the outline of the striped fish clearly.
So stripes give fish survival advantages, allowing them to hide from predators or avoid detection as they stalk prey.
Large Mammals
In the mammal kingdom, black and white striped coats are rarer but exist in creatures like:
– Skunks
– Badgers
– Zebra duikers
– Banded mongooses
– Ring-tailed lemurs
– Raccoons (tails)
– Striped hyenas
Again, the stripes serve as warning coloration. They signal the mammals may have defense abilities like spraying noxious scents or delivering powerful bites if threatened.
So for both prey and predator mammals, black and white stripes provide protective coloration and advantages in the natural world.
Birds
Some birds with distinctive black and white striped plumage include:
– Zebra finches
– Laughing kookaburras
– Magpie-larks
– Bee-eaters
– Neotropic cormorants
– Hornbills
Like fish and insects, the stripes provide camouflage and visual confusion that aids the birds in avoiding detection from predators and prey.
Birds that live in dim forest environments tend to have the boldest black and white stripes since the high contrast disguises the birds in scattered beams of sunlight penetrating the canopy.
So again, striped birds exemplify how the black and white pattern provides survival benefits in the avian kingdom.
Trees
The bark of some tree species features distinctive black and white vertical stripes like:
– Aspen trees
– Birch trees
– Olive trees
– Beech trees
– Sycamore trees
Trees often have striped gray, green, or brown bark as well. The stripes form a sort of natural camouflage that helps blend the trees into the forest surroundings.
The stripes may also make it more difficult for predators to climb up the trunks of striped trees. The varying colors can visually break up straight climbing paths.
So striped tree bark assists trees in avoiding herbivore damage and provides protective coloration within the forests where the trees grow.
Candy Canes
Candy canes are a classic holiday treat displaying the iconic red and white striped pattern. According to folklore, in 1670 a German choirmaster wanted white sticks of sugar shaped like shepherd’s staffs for children during Christmas services.
He requested three candiesmiths add red stripes to the treats to represent Christian beliefs about Jesus’s sacrifice and suffering. This created the traditional candy cane form we know today.
The distinctive bold red stripes on the curved white candy make candy canes look like walking sticks or shepherd’s crooks. They remain a popular Christmas confection to this day.
| Origins | 1670s Germany |
| Colors | Red, white |
| Shape | Curved stick |
| Meaning | Shepherd’s staff, Christian story |
| Occasions | Christmas tradition |
So candy canes represent a unique confection where stripes add storytelling symbolism and religious meaning.
Pinstriping
In pinstriping, automotive painters, graffiti artists, and muralists use thin strips of paint to create decorative outlines and accents.
Pinstripes emerged in the 1930s US car culture and featured thin striped edges on hot rods and custom vehicles. Pinstripes outline car body parts like fenders, hoods, trunks, and wheel rims with thin continuous liquid lines.
The craft requires steady hands to make clean unbroken lines in one continuous stroke. Striper brushes have longer hairs to hold more paint. Common colors are chrome silver, gold, red, green, yellow, orange, blue.
So automotive pinstriping allows artists to use stripes to creatively embellish vehicles with custom detailing.
Conclusion
In summary, black and white stripes appear on diverse animals, objects, and food across many settings. From zebras, referees, and prisoners to barbershop poles, neckties, fish, and candy canes, the high contrast stripes attract attention while providing camouflage, symbolism, and style. The ubiquity of this eye-catching pattern demonstrates its timeless design appeal. So next time you come across a striped item, consider its unique place representing the intersection between nature, culture, function, and aesthetics.